Peanut butter products salmonella scare
(CNS): Five days after the Kellogg Co. announced it was recommending that consumers not eat its peanut butter crackers because they may be tainted with salmonella, the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) is alerting the Cayman public to the danger. According to CNN, six deaths in the US may have been connected to this salmonella outbreak and 474 people in 43 states have become sick. Voluntary Food Recalls have been issued for such brands as Keebler cookies, Austin Cookies, and Famous Amos Cookies.
Food and Drug Administration officials said Saturday that peanut butter and peanut paste made from ground roasted peanuts, manufactured in Peanut Corp.’s Blakely, Georgia, plant were found to contain the bacteria, although a direct link to the strain has not been found.
Because identification of products subject to recall is continuing, the FDA urges consumers to postpone eating commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter-containing products and institutionally-served peanut butter until further information becomes available about which products may be affected. Efforts to specifically identify those products are ongoing.
The FDA says that, at this time, there is no indication that any national name brand jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores are linked to the PCA recall. As the investigation continues over the weekend, and into next week, the FDA will be able to update the advice based on new sampling and distribution information.
The officials in the Food Safety section of the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) are currently investigating for the presence of the all affected products in all local supermarkets and distributors, both here and the Sister Islands. If any affected products are found, they will be removed immediately from supermarket shelves.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children; frail or elderly people; and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhoea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances the organism may get into the bloodstream, producing more severe illnesses such as infected aneurysms, endocarditis, and arthritis. If you have eaten any peanut based products and are experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact your medical provider immediately.
For further information concerning local efforts, contact the DEH at 949-6696. For more details and a full list of products impacted, visit the FDA website.
Below is a list of some of the products being voluntarily recalled by the FDA:
Austin® Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
Austin® Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut ButterSandwich Crackers – all sizes
Austin® Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
Austin® Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches – all sizes
Austin® Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers
Austin® Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
Austin® Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter – all sizes
Austin® Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
Austin® Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
Austin® Quality Foods Cookie/Cracker Pack
Austin® Quality Foods Variety Pack
Keebler® Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
Keebler® Toast & PB’n J Flavoured Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
Keebler® Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers – all sizes
Famous Amos® Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce)
Keebler® Soft Batch Home-style Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce
Perry’s Premium Peanut Butter Cup Craze Ice Cream 1/2 Pint
Perry’s Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.5 QT, 1.75 QT AND 3 GL
Perry’s Peanut Butter Chip Frozen Yogurt 1.5 QT, 1.75 QT and 3 GL
Perry’s Peanut Butter Sundae Crunch Ice Cream Bar Bulk 24 pack
Perry’s Premium Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream 1.5 QT and 1.75 QT
Perry’s Perfectly Churned Light Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.5 QT and 1.75 QT
Perry’s Light Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Shurfine Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Chocolate Nutty Cone Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream 1.75 QT and Pint
Wegmans Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Sundae Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Pretzel Ice Cream 1.75 QT
Wegmans Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream Bar 6 pack
Wegmans Peanut Butter Candy Sundae Cup Ice Cream 4 pack
Wegmans Peanut Butter Sundae Cup Ice Cream 4 pack
Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty sandwich crackers — all sizes.
Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Cheese sandwich crackers — all sizes.
No other Little Debbie® products are involved in this recall.
Candy impacted by the recall are all sold under The South Bend Chocolate Company brand name and were produced on or after July 1, 2008. The candies under recall including:
Assorted chocolates in 5 ounce (Product 121), 8 ounce (Product 122), 12 ounce (Product 123) and 26 ounce (Product 124) boxes [Note the sugar free assorted chocolates are not affected, and are not part of the recall]
Hoosiers in 5 ounce (Product 010, UPC# 4482300011) and 3.5 ounce (Product o11, UPC# 4482300010)
Valentine Heart, 14 ounces (Product 1020)
The following products are also under recall and are sold to retail stores in bulk for sales of smaller quantities to their customers:
4.5lb Peanut Butter Fudge, Product 228
4 lb. Hoosiers, Product 410
5 lb. Peanut Butter Meltaway, Milk Chocolate, Product 204
5 lb. Peanut Butter Meltaways-Dark Chocolate, Product 204D
4.5lb Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Product 229
Source: US Food and Drug Administration; www.fda.com.
Category: Headline News
DO NOT BE SURPRISED CNS
I really thought that your company was about freedom of speech and Transparency, hearing the comments of others. My comment may not be to your satisfaction, but the mere fact is that you could have chosen NOT to print it, but you did, and this shows there must have been some thing of value. Sorry if I have stepped on the toes of someone of interest. But I am very satisfied you have a NAME to reply to anyway, I am not Mr anonymous.
I am a writer, and a good one too, and I would have hoped you observed that by now. I am not bias, I am transparent and do give people reason to read CNS. I do not know which shop or supermarket the writer spoke about. I am voicing my concerns about what I know, takes place on the Island and I never write about anything which I cannot back up. But its nothing of a surprise to me in Cayman, Freedom of speech is you can say what you want so long as you do not get close to me or my friends> If you do that then you are thought to be redicilous and surprised at. Please dont be, because I do realize we have to be careful where we throw our stones otherwise we may break windows.
Be blessed
To "A Concerned Mother" and anyone else who may have witnessed any sudden sale of products containing peanut butter: If you post a comment with the details (store location, etc), it will not be published but the details will be forwarded to DoEH. You will stay anonymous but the department will be able to investigate. Alternatively, you can email me at nicky@caymannewsservice.com or Sheron Whilby at the DoEH sheron.whilby@gov.ky. The DoEH cannot investigate this accusation without information and witnesses.
NOT SURPRISED ON THE SALE OF TAINTED PEANUT BUTTER PRODUCTS
And would only suggest that consumers look out for them selves and their family. Sometimes it concerns me if the persons "Invironmental Health Department" or "Department of environmental" which ever, is doing the job necessary in following up on these things. Why are inspectors hired and given these fat paying jobs and is not carrying out their jobs.
It is disgusting to hear that a supermarket was quickly selling off its TAINTED PRODUCTS after hearing about this call back on these products. Exactly like the writer says, and I agree, GREEDY. GREEDY, GREEDY.
I would put my head on a chopping block that it is not any Caymanian responsible for selling these tainted products. The managers, supervisors and food line persons are not Caymanians, so they do not care a Heck who gets poisoned here. Who is buying these foods?, POOR PEOPLE, buying them for their children,s snacks for lunch. Do you really think anyone cares if your child gets poisoned and dies. My, My, My. I would like to call on the Minister responsible for schools to pay more attention to assisting the School,s Canteen. Why cant the govenment supply hot breakfast and lunch to students who are in need. Enough money is not being spent on our kids. They should not have to eat tainted Peanut butter sandwiches for break. We need more attention put on the food our kids eat. Take for instance the Adventist School, My grandson has been transfered to that school recently. One day I had the opportunity of discussing with him how he liked the new school. You know what his reply was "Grandma you know they pray three times a day, and they do not serve any meat at the canteen" Well how do you like that son,? Oh, I love that Gandma, I have been feeling much better.
Its not only food that is tainted, we should be very observant when going to the barber for a shave or hair cut, We should be observant going to our pedicurist and hairstylist. My razor is your razor, my comb is your comb, left over products mixed up and used on me you and the other person. Infections obtained on feet and fingers from having a pedicure with dirty unsterilized instruments and dirty foot tubs. People catching headlice and barber itch and th list goes on. WHO DO WE BLAME. The department of who ever that is not doing their job and inspecting business. Small shops and gas stations selling products of rusted cans and out dated food. Who is to Blame.? What do we the consumer do, starve to death or eat this —-.
Persons who are being paid to see that these things are not happening are not doing their job. All of these district so called Environemntal Inspectors should be reporting to their Boss Manager or whom ever how many places were checked and their findings. Guess what, no one cares, So I would suggest this year make a difference with persons who care about the health of your youth, they are our future for tomorrow.
Be blessed.
CNS note: The Department of Environmental Health contacted me to ask which store was named and is checking this out. To be fair, their inspectors cannot be everywhere. I’m sure it would help if the public contacted the DoEH to report instances like this. Also, while there may be unscrupulous foreigners in these islands, to suggest that all the people who are not from here don’t care who gets poisoned is ridiculous. I’m surprised at you ,Twyla. Lastly, I’d like to point out that the comment was made anonymously and may not be true.
On Saturday xxxxxxxxx Store were trying to sell out their stash of Austin Peanut Butter Crackers at a discounted price.
How greddy can some store owners be that they are willing to \\put childrens lives on the line just to retrive some money.
I know this because my son bought these and brought them home for his 6 year old son. The fact that they were selling at a discounted price says to me that they Knew !!!!but they were still willing to sell these crackers to the public.
Some one in authority needs to check on them !!!!!!!!
I wonder what else they have there !that they should not be selling to the public!!!!!
CNS note: I’ve blanked out the name of the store because this accusation was made anonymously. Could you email me at nicky@caymannewsservice.com.